Wednesday, April 15, 2015

A Letter to the Inaugural United States Synchronized Skating Olympic Team:

I write this letter to you shortly after returning home from the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships in the year 2015. I am unsure of when in the future this letter will actually find you, but do know with all my heart, that one day it will.

You have been chosen to represent your country on the Olympic stage, so I am writing to remind you what this truly means. I am writing to remind you what this sport it truly about.

Haydenettes celebrate a clean short program at the2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

In 2015, there is a common misconception that Synchro is the discipline that skater’s “fall back on”. You and I both know this to be untrue. If you are like me, then the sport didn’t choose you, you chose it. You chose synchro because it was the biggest challenge you had yet faced. You had to master the jumps of Freestyle, the turns of Ice Dance and the lifts of Pairs Skating - all while staying in perfect unison with your 15 team mates. You chose to be a person your teammates could depend on. You took on the responsibility of not only looking out for yourself and improving your skills, but also lifting up those around you with support. I like to call synchro the “Miracle Sport”, because you and I know that 16 people skating a perfectly clean program in perfect unison can be somewhat of a Miracle.

The Haydenettes - my teammates for life

Nothing will replace the feeling you have after you've skated your best

You are now representing the Ultimate team sport. You will not only skate together on the Olympic stage, but you will become one unit. You are representing the best of what the United States has to offer, past and present. I ask you now not to forget what this sport is truly about. The skaters who competed this weekend in the 2015 World Championships did not grow up choosing to skate synchro in the hopes of one day becoming Olympians. We did it in spite of the fact that the Olympics were not an option. There is something special about this sport that grabs on to your heart and does not let go. It is a sport for fighters, the kind of athletes who do not give up on themselves or each other. It is a sport where you will have your highest highs and your lowest lows, but yet you will never be alone. It is a sport where in those few moments in your career when the miracle does happen, you can skate to the middle of the ice, hug your adjacent puzzle pieces, and stand side by side as you share your accolades with your best friends. You are a part of something so much bigger than one person. So please do not forget the sport and the love for being a part of something that reaches far beyond your own wants and needs. We have been working tirelessly so that you would have this chance.

2015 World Synchronized Skating Team

So please, skate with your heart, skate with your soul and know that generations of synchronized and precision skaters before you are smiling, knowing that all of our dreams came true! We know you will represent us well, now GO GET EM’ USA!

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

I write this blog post to you as I’m about to depart for the 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating
Championships, which is the final event of the season for me and my team, the
Haydenettes (Team USA 1), and I think to myself “how did we get here?”.
In less than a week from now another season will have come and gone; final
performances will have been skated and champions will have been crowned.

Haydenettes last
practice at home before heading to Canada for the World Championships

So
how did we get here? Well I guess you could
say time just flies when you’re having fun. But most of
all we got here from the help, support, and dedication of many incredible
people.

Our coaches. They push us
every practice, they know what’s best for us, we give them our all and trust
them 100%. We have succeeded and reached this point thanks to all the
hard work of our coach, Saga Krantz.

With Coach Saga after
the short program at The Spring Cup in Milan, Italy

Our family. They love us unconditionally, day in and
day out. From sitting in the crowd at a competition or watching online,
they support us whether we win or lose and we would not be the individuals we
are today without them.

Me with my parents at
the Award Ceremony at this year's National Championships

Our
managers. Who organize travel plans, schedules, and everything in
between, and are there to support us every step of the way throughout the
season.

Haydenettes with our
team manager, Gail Mayer, at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk
earlier this season

Our
friends, who might not understand anything about the sport, but are
always there to cheer us on.

Younger skaters, who look up to
us and remind us of where we once began our journeys and why we fell in love
with this sport in the first place.

Former skaters, who created a
legacy for us to follow, acted as role models for us, and created dreams for
ourselves that we are living out today.

Current and former
Haydenettes at the 2015 US Championships

And
then of course, our teammates. We wouldn’t be where we are if we didn’t
put our undivided trust and love into our team as a whole. We work as one
unit on and off the ice and are able to create lifelong memories and
friendships along the way.

2015 Haydenettes

So
how did we get here? We practiced, we sacrificed, we worked as hard as we
could. But we wouldn’t have made it here on our own. Thank you to
everyone who has helped me get to where I am today, off to compete at the World
Championships. I couldn’t have done it without each and every one of
you.

Monday, April 6, 2015

After months and months of
practice, countless run-throughs, and even more “Let’s do that section one more
time” comments, it’s hard to believe that we are already at this point in the
season, making that final push towards stepping out onto the world stage. In
just a few days 25 teams, representing 20 countries from all around the world
will meet in Hamilton, Canada for what is sure to be a tight competition and an
incredible event.

Scott Brown with the Miami Senior Team

Coming off of the US Synchronized
Skating Championships with such strong performances by all the teams in the
senior division, the Haydenettes and Miami University were thrilled to be named
the 2015 US World Team, but the hard work definitely did not end there. For
Miami, our goal was certainly to reclaim our spot on their World Team, but also
to take it much farther than that. These past several weeks have been packed
with skating and training in an effort to ensure that we are as prepared and well
set up for success at the ISU World Championships as possible.

While the rest our classmates and
the Miami University student body cleared out of Oxford and headed for the
beaches over spring break two weeks ago, we stuck around and put in several
hours of intense practice, pushing our stamina and tweaking our programs ever
so slightly. We were very lucky to welcome back one of our choreographers, Scott
Brown, for some attention to detail in the short program. He helped us prepare
to fill the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton with our joy of skating from the
moment we enter the ice.

Miami Skating taking a quick break to watch the Varsity Hockey Team on TV

We truly have been pushing
ourselves harder than ever and putting in a tremendous amount of work over the past
month. The best part of this work however, has been doing it together as a team.
Without all 19 athletes giving everything that we have each and every practice,
we couldn’t have accomplished everything that we have so far this season. It’s
in those times that you don’t think your legs can take even one more crossover,
that looking over at your teammates is the most empowering. This one glance
allows you to do what you yourself might not have been able to do without your
teammates giving 150% as well.

“You will never know your limits until you push yourself
past them!”

Former Skyliners Junior teammates and DREAMmates Audrey McQuade and Ashley Mulhern ready to take on the World once again

It’s always so important to
remember that anything can happen on any given day, at any competition, but
especially at the World Championships. In the sport of synchronized skating,
there are so many things that are out of our control as skaters when competing.
We can’t control the judges, the technical panel, or even the other teams, but
the one thing we do have control over is our own performance. As we look
towards the World Championships, we have set our sights as high as we can and
will head into the competition with the goal of putting on another show, skating
with strong performance all week long, exciting the arena, and leaving our mark
on Hamilton. We may not be able to control our final placement, but we can most
definitely control how we feel when we hit our ending position and give
ourselves and the audience a performance to remember. This is sure to be a week
that will remain in our memories for the rest of our lives.

2015 US World Team

We can’t wait for another ISU World
Synchronized Skating Championships in North America, where you can count on the
crowd to be bursting with spirit, deafening cheers, and a true passion and
appreciation for the sport of synchronized skating. Good luck to all the teams
competing and we’ll see you there!

Friday, March 27, 2015

As soon as Nationals were over I wanted to get right back to
practice! Competing at Nationals, watching teams at every level, and qualifying
for Worlds motivated me to take on the next step in training with the
Haydenettes.

Some of my favorite
moments after competing at

Nationals were the hugs from my teammates and my
family

[Photo taken by
Kaleigh Corbett]

Leaving the locker
room after competing the

short program at Nationals

This season, nutrition has never been more significant. As
the training grind gets more intense, nutrition and hydration play an even more
important role. Did you know that when you start to feel thirsty, your muscles
are already approximately 20% less efficient? I only wish I had known sooner
because now that I am drinking almost 4 Nalgene water bottles a day, I’m less
sore after an intense practice or workout.

Post-practice recovery: water and a protein
shake

As a team, we have made a big push to eating healthy and
fueling our bodies with the right foods: the less processed, the better. Protein,
fruits, and vegetables have become our main focus!

As synchro athletes, we train in multiple disciplines, often
more than once in one day. My favorite start to a day of training and school is
a good breakfast. For example, on Wednesdays I’m on the ice first thing in the
morning for a lesson, after which I go to class, and then head to practice
where we’re on the ice for 2 ½ hours and then do a high intensity workout right
after. Eating a power-packed breakfast affects my focus and mood for the whole
day, so I like to have a lot of protein and some fruit.

Remember that everyone’s body
is different and requires different fuel. Nevertheless, I encourage you during
this season of tryouts and recovery to try to drink a little more water every
day, or add an extra serving of fruit or vegetables to your next meal because
it really makes a difference!

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

It has only been 18 days since the 2015 US Synchronized Skating Championships
concluded in Providence, Rhode Island. But who is counting? Unforgettable
programs were skated, champions were crowned, and I am sure tons of selfies
were taken. Instead of doing homework, you browse through all 500+ of your
teammate's photos. You constantly have flashbacks to being out on the ice
with your teammates and skating your very best. And you cannot stop watching
your performance on YouTube.

You, like many other skaters are displaying classic symptoms of post-National
blues!

Here
are a few suggestions on what you can be doing to keep your mind off last
season and help prepare you for next season:

1.Keep skating - practicing your individual skills will help
you maintain your current level of skating. Work on skills that where
challenging for you this past season and master what you were already
comfortable with. Never underestimate the amount of time and dedication you put
into making yourself a better skater.

2.Test: Moves in the Field, Ice Dance, and
Freestyle – taking tests is
important to eventually compete at certain levels in qualifying competitions.
Or you can take tests to continually challenge yourself and your abilities.

3.
Cross train – the off-season is the perfect time to try new
activities that keep you active. Whether it is running, swimming, cycling,
kickboxing, or yoga, your options are endless and should be fun!

Ashley Tomich & I powered through a Vinyasa Flow
class.

4.Participate in the S.T.A.R.S program – a fun and interactive off-ice fitness
assessment designed to promote all-around fitness and to physically prepare
skaters for more complex and demanding skating skills. This is a great way
to see your performance in comparison with with matched age-, gender-, and
level- skaters from across the US. It also provides you with a baseline for
where your fitness levels are and what areas you can focus on in training for
next season.

5. Attend Summer Camps – DREAM Camp, Synchro Training Festival, or other
summer camps are the perfect opportunity to meet and skate with other skaters
from across the country. You also get to work with some of the best coaches in
the US and learn new skills that you can take back home to share with your
team.

Goofing around between on-ice sessions at Elite Camp
2014.

Registration for DREAM Camp and Training Festival
opens on April 1, 2015!

6.Rest – this is also the perfect time to focus on your individual
needs! Whether you take a few weeks off to rest an injury or go on a vacation
with your family, do not worry about not being able to skate. Everyone deserves
time to rest and regroup during the off-season, which can actually help
you prepare for next season.

No matter what you end up doing during this off-season, make sure you keep your
skates sharpened and your body healthy so you are ready to take on next season.
I know I cannot wait to spend time with my friends and family back at home
in California.

Feel free to reach out to any DREAM skater or myself if you have any questions
about what we do during our off-season! We would love to hear from you or see
you at DREAM Camp/Training Festival this summer!

Monday, March 9, 2015

As another season comes to a close for United States
Synchronized Skating, we are all aware that no time is lost in planning for the
next season. All of this has a different meaning for the
athletes who are looking toward the next step in their skating career.

For many athletes, the love for this sport was developed through
a single organization. This club gave
you not only the skills to succeed, but many best friends - which makes it all the
more difficult to move in a new direction. This decision does not weigh
lightly, as it asks not only what team you will find yourself on, but also how
will you balance your life outside of the rink.

My advice to the worried skaters who have this daunting
decision ahead of them is simple; decide what matters most to you. A favorite quote of mine that reads “Ask
yourself what is really important and then have the wisdom and courage to build
your life around it”. If the answer to
this question is skating, then I know a few girls who were in your shoes not
very long ago.

As a small town girl from Howell, Michigan I joined the Ann
Arbor Hockette organization at age 12. I had been skating freestyle and synchro
for my local club team since the age of 5, but I was ready to take on a new
challenge in hopes of pushing myself further. For five amazing years I skated for the
Hockettes and made friends that are still like family to me, today. I then found myself in the position to move
toward my biggest dream - becoming a member of the Haydenettes.

Lifelong friends that I made during my time on Hockettes, Maggie Mayer (above) and Tessa Hedges (below)

It is hard enough deciding which team may be a good fit,
but what about the life you will have to build outside of the rink? Take a breath - like I said before, just
follow year heart. If your greatest goal is to skate, then you will find a way
to make it happen.

There is no single or “right” way to make your dreams come
true. My team has followed a number of
paths:

Many of the girls on my team attend college
full time. This is perfect for them
because it not only allows them to continue their education, but it also gives
them a place to call home.

Others have jobs (instead of, or as well as
school) to help offset the costs of skating and living expenses.

Some have graduated college already and move to Hayden as
their next step – (even from other countries!)

My path has been a
bit more winding than that of a normal student athlete. For the past four years
I have been a part time Biology/ Pre-med student at Fitchburg State University.
Being part time has given me the chance to focus on skating, as well as
maintain my GPA. I have had the freedom to work multiple jobs and the flexibility
to balance amazing volunteer/internship opportunities, such the Boys &
Girls Club and The Special Olympics. My
favorite volunteer opportunity outside of the rink has been working for the New
England Aquarium’s Rescue and Rehabilitation center. Each week I shadow
Biologists and Veterinarians as they treat wild animals found on the coast of
Massachusetts!

A photo taken by The Boston Globe during the record breaking sea turtle
stranding season of the fall/winter of 2014-15

I hope all of this can help to ease some of your minds. I
know that there is still much uncertainty, but if you are working towards a
goal that drives you, then the sacrifices will be nothing in comparison to
reaching those goals! Though we are all synchronized skaters working towards
the same dreams, our paths will certainly veer in different directions before
merging into one.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

The idea that all good things must come to an end is one
that I refuse to believe is true… at least in this particular situation. As I sit
here on the 13 hour bus ride with the Miami University Skating Organization,
headed to my final National Championship, I am thinking about how my experience
as a synchronized skater over the past 16 seasons has not just been a good
thing, but an incredible life changing experience. A long road came prior to this year’s National
Championship. A road that had some bumps
and many hills to climb, but also some unbelievable views from the tops of
those hills. Although this may be my final National Championship, I don’t see
it as the end of the road, but just a veer in a new direction.

2004 Juvenile National Championships

It all started as a seemingly giant goal for a fairly small
9 year old attending her first Nationals at the juvenile level back in 2003. I
had a dream of competing on a nationally ranked senior level team that would compete
internationally as part of Team USA. Things really started three years before
that when an even smaller 6 year old little girl, begged her mom to let her try
this thing called precision skating. Year after year I became more and more in
love with the sport, and thrived on the energy I received from performing and
competing. The road to where I am now was not always a smooth sheet of ice, but
it had some rocky starts, downfalls, and uphill battles.

The first several years that I competed at the U.S.
Synchronized Skating National Championships, I was absolutely thrilled to be
there and to experience it all. The outcome however, was not quite as exciting
as the event itself, ending many times towards the bottom of the division. As
the years went on, my teammates and I worked even harder, became more and more
driven to succeed, and finally began to rise in the ranks. It wasn’t until 2006
that I finally earned my first national medal, the novice division pewter in
Grand Rapids, MI. Moving into the junior division, we struggled to make it onto
the podium, but it was those times of adversity that brought us together and
made us fight even harder the next season. This perseverance through even the
most devastating of performances afforded me 4 international competitions with
Team USA at the junior level and 2 appearances on the Junior World Team as both
Team USA 1 and Team USA 2.

2006 Novice Pewter Medalist

Starting a new chapter of my life and moving on to college,
I could not be happier or luckier to be a part of the Miami University Varsity
Synchronized Skating teams, where I have been given the best of both worlds.
Competing on the senior team for the past 4 years has been a dream come true
and the only place you can proudly say that you represent your university and
your country each and every time you take the ice with your 19 best friends. While
things haven’t always gone the exact way that I may have wanted them to, I have
learned more than I could have ever imagined from each of these experiences.
The synchronized skating world and culture as a whole have shaped me into the
athlete and person that I am today. I have countless memories, lifelong
friendships, and connections that I will hold close to me wherever the future
may take me.

2011 U.S. Junior National Champions - Skyliners

I am beyond excited to compete at my final U.S. Synchronized
Skating Championships as an athlete, alongside my 18 teammates. I truly could
not think of a better group of girls to compete with. However, my Nationals
road is not ending here, I look forward to returning to future U.S.
Synchronized Skating Championships in a new way that will keep me as close as
possible to this sport that has given me so much, and that I will love forever.

Best of luck to all the skaters competing this weekend in
the 2015 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Providence, RI. Remember to
fully enjoy each and every moment, cherish your teammates around you, and most
of all have a blast!

Miami Senior Team ready to take on Providence and the 2015 US Synchronized Skating Championships
Photo Credit - Chandler Carroll

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is
what makes a team work” - Vincent Lombardi,

As synchronized skaters, we dedicate countless hours
skating on the ice and working off the ice as a team every week. The focus of these
practices is usually functioning together as one unit to ultimately build and
work towards that one common goal for the season. Outside of practicing with
the team, it is always encouraged to be practicing individual skating skills
that will benefit not only you but the team as well. While there are many other
ways to improve your own skating skills such as working on in moves in the
field, ice dancing, pairs, and freestyle elements, it is also important to
incorporate cross training into your training program.

This season, the Haydenettes have incorporated an
off-ice conditioning program to our weekly practices with Kat Arbor at Ice
Dynamics. Through Kat’s off-ice programs that features basic weight lifting and
total body exercises, we have increased our strength, power, balance,
flexibility, and cardio demands that match our on-ice needs as synchronized
skaters.

There are many other ways you can incorporate
cross training into your practice besides lifting weights and doing team works
outs. I personally have found practicing yoga has helped with my flexibility,
core strength, mental calmness, and total body relaxation. To support my cardio
endurance and extra quad strength, I participate in indoor spinning classes at
least once a week; or I will go for a run outdoors when the weather permits.
All of these extracurricular activities outside of skating practice have added
fun and variety into my daily life, in addition to providing a beneficial
workout that targets my whole body. Changing up your
training is also a great way to bond with your teammates outside of what you
are used to doing at the skating rink.

The Haydenettes were led through a private yoga class
at lululemon athletica in the Burlington Mall.

Listen to your body and know your limits. Do not try
and push yourself into trying something you are not physically ready to
do. I have taken my practice of yoga and incorporated a
short vinyasa flow sequence into my warmup and stretching
routine before I compete because I know that is what works for me. The
benefits of cross training are endless when done properly and they will ensure
a healthier, happier, and well-rounded skater out of you.

The Haydenettes and Synchroettes just returned from
Milan, Italy where we both competed at Spring Cup, the last international
competition for Team USA leading up to Junior and Senior Worlds. It was a very
quick trip for the Haydenettes, leaving snowy Boston on Friday and returning
Monday evening. With all of the cross training we have participated in this
season, we felt strong and ready to compete for the third weekend in a row. We
skated two clean programs that produced our highest scores so far this season
and are incredibly honored to have placed third in the Senior Division amongst
Nexxice of Canada and Team Surprise of Sweden. Congratulations to the
Synchroettes, who also skated two clean programs and placed sixth in the Junior
Division.

The Haydenettes & Synchroettes take a Team USA
photo before dinner at Spring Cup 2015

Best of luck to all of the teams that will be
competing at the 2015 Synchronized Skating Championships in Providence, Rhode
Island next weekend!

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Skating with a sibling on your team or on another team within your
organization can be tricky but also rewarding.

In the very beginning, all three of my sisters skated. It started
with my older sister. Then I followed in her footsteps, and my two younger
sisters followed in mine. In the end, only my younger sister Eliza and I stuck
with it, and when I joined the Synchroettes, so did she. Because of our three
year age difference we have never skated on a team together, but having a
sibling in the organization, despite its occasional ups and downs, has been a
very special experience.

Just some of the many Synchroettes sisters
posing for a picture during Kickoff in August.

You could say
that Eliza (or Liza as I always call her) and I have been each other’s
sidekicks from the very beginning. We practice together, we workout together,
and when things get tough or one of us gets frustrated, we have each other to
give our encouragement and support. But this doesn’t mean that skating with a
sister is always easy. Because we spend so much time together, it is not
unusual that we sometimes get into arguments. But over the years we’ve learned
how to “leave our baggage at the rink door.” When we step into the rink we clear
our heads so we can have a productive practice session. And almost all of the
time, after skating for a couple of hours with clear minds, we realize on the
ride home that what we were fighting about was either unimportant or could be
easily solved.

These
occasional arguments have made our relationship stronger, and it all becomes
worth it when we can share exciting moments with each other.

Eliza and I at the awards ceremony at the
Eastern Section Championships.

Though Eliza is my biological sister, the 19 other girls on my
team have also become like family to me. The things I have learned from my relationship
with Eliza have applied to relationships within my team in ways I could never
have imagined. The bond my team and I have has made us closer than ever before,
allowing us to work past any differences we might have and work together
towards our common goal of skating our very best this season.